1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for warming a bed, and particularly to electrically powered devices that blow heated air between bed covers.
2. Description of the Related Art
During the winter in cold climates, an unoccupied bed becomes relatively cold. Thus a person entering the bed is exposed to bedding surfaces which are considerably colder than human body temperature. It takes some time for the person""s body heat to warm the bed.
Various devices have been created to talk the chill off of bedding so that a person upon entering the bed is not be exposed to cold surfaces in the winter. One common approach is to turn-on an electric blanket prior to entry into the bed to warm the region in which the person will sleep. Other devices supplied heated air into a space between the bed coverings. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 15,887,303 discloses a conduit which conducts air into the bed from a register of a forced air heating system of the building. However, that latter device does not evenly distribute the warm air throughout the bed and does not allow the user to control the temperature or flow of the air being forced into the bed. In addition, this latter system functions only with the normal thermostatically controlled heating system for the building.
A bed warming apparatus is provided to heat the bed covers prior to a person entering the bed on winter nights. This apparatus mounts on the bed being supported by elements that extend between the standard mattress and box spring. A fan forces room air through an electric heating coil in the apparatus and then through an outlet which directs the air flow between the bed covers.
The bed warning apparatus has a housing with an air inlet and an air outlet. A heater and a fan are contained within the housing with the fan producing a flow of air from the air inlet through the heater to the air outlet. A support is adjustably coupled to the housing and is adapted to extend under the mattress to hold the housing along an edge of the mattress in a position wherein the air flow from the air outlet is directed between the bed covers.
In a preferred embodiment of the housing, the air inlet is located on a bottom end with the air outlet located near the top of a side wall. A plurality of pails of apertures are located in the side wall with the pairs of apertures being stacked vertically. The support comprises first and second support legs selectively received in one of the pairs of apertures. Selection of the particular pair of apertures in which the first and second support legs are received adjusts a spatial relationship of the housing to the mattress so that the flow of air from the air outlet is directed between the mattress bed covering.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a user operable controller for activating the fan and the heater. Preferably the user operable controller enables the fan to be activated with and without activating the heater. An optional timer can be provided to deactivate the heater after a defined period of time.